Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Bruce Wayne lived a horror scenario. 

He thought gently as he straightened his tie. Impeccable as always, easier to hide all his nervousness behind his mask. He applied a heavy dose of cologne on his wrists so the interviewer wouldn’t be able to smell it on him. 

The polite thing to do. It was just a bonus if the cologne masked his feelings.

The last thing he needed was for Viki Vale to smell his nervousness.

He wasn’t nervous about the interview, he had done them a thousand times, and Viki had been the reporter dozens of times. 

As much as she liked to manufacture scandals, he was not nervous about her.

No, he was nervous for a lot of other reasons. 

This one was mainly named Tim. 

People had criticized him all those years ago when he decided to take in an orphaned pup. 

Mainly people had criticized that he may be an unfit parent, that he couldn’t do it as an alpha without a pack. 

He had waved off those concerns. 

Others criticized his adoption of Dick for different reasons, suspicious of his motivation of taking in an unpresented pup. 

Viki had been among the Accusers that he had ill intentions. 

People had grown more suspicious when he took in his second pup, from the streets no less. 

Truth was, in Richard, Bruce had seen a kindred spirit. Someone torn away from his nurturers at a young age just as he had been.

With Jason it had been a bit different, he had seen something dark in the young pup, but also great potential for good. He decided that he wanted to nurture that spark he saw and not let him become some sort of monster. 

By his third child people had stopped questioning his ability to nurture pups without a pack, clearly, he had what it took.

Some people instead questioned his status as an Alpha. 

Believing he might have had a switch into a Beta with a dominant subtype. Others that he had never been an Alpha to begin with. A few very public incidents later, that question had been sorted out, and there was no doubt of his status. 

He had only taken in Tim two years ago after the tragic death of his parents. Though he had thought of the boy as one of his own for far longer. 

A small vindictive part of him was glad his parents were out of the way; they had never given the pup the full care and attention he had needed.  Yet Bruce is the one who gets accused of being an unfit parent. 

He fiddled slightly with his cufflinks. Cute little chess pieces that Cass had gotten him for his 32 nd birthday. Everything looked perfect. He took a deep grounding breath. 

“Mr. Wayne, we are ready for you now.” 

A young intern poked her head into his dressing room after knocking. He spun around to face her, just catching in the corner of his eye her wrinkling her nose. Likely at his cologne, but perhaps she could smell the turbulent emotions he emitted. 

His cologne should mask it, but sometimes the scents were just too powerful. 

“Wonderful, I’ll follow your lead.”

She nodded.

They were down the long beige hallways of the studio, he could probably have found the way on his own, but he felt that he did not want to concentrate on that today. His thoughts were occupied with his family’s well-being. 

They lived a dangerous double life. After all they secretly operated as Gotham’s protectors, Batman, and his Robins. So, some worry about his family’s well-being was to be expected. They had found themselves in multiple life-threatening scenarios, usually on a bi-weekly basis. They had nearly lost Jason a few years ago. 

Sometimes Bruce quietly thanked every god he knew that his son had woken up from that coma the Joker left him in. 

His main worry about his family’s well-being was about Tim. 

Tim was sixteen now, and he had just presented. 

As an omega.

That unfortunately meant a few things for Bruce and his makeshift family. It meant that they would have to be extra careful when it came to patrols, to school, to hanging out with peers.

Omegas had a lot of social expectations. Social perceptions that were largely negative. Theme there was the whole concern about continuing their nightlife.

 Omegas are not allowed to become vigilantes. 

A rule heavily enforced in the community. After all, an omega placed themselves at greater risk than any other presentation. 

The one exception to this rule had only been in the man of steel himself and his family, but that was also in large part because Kryptonian biology was weird and clearly followed different rules to that of humans… the whole invulnerability thing also helped. 

So if Tim wanted to continue being Robin, something that Bruce knew he would never willingly give up, he had to keep that hidden. 

That was no big deal.

After all, all his children were omegas. 

That was the other headache that bloomed behind his brow. 

 Oldest Richard, Jason, Tim, his daughters Cass, Steph and the most recent addition of Duke. 

All his children had presented as Omegas.  Every single one of them was some brand of vigilante.

If His adoption of his children had been a scandal, the truth that every one of them was an omega… That would be the scandal of the century. His reputation had bounced back from a lot of things, but he doubted that even the Prince of Gotham could survive that one.  

Not to mention if it became public knowledge that his children were all omegas… 

He could not risk putting their safety at risk like that. They were already big targets for kidnappings as the Wayne’s children, but Omegas were rare. Plenty of people wanted their hands on one. He took a grounding breath as he listened to the sepal winding down from the previous segment of the show. Slight scents of the audience and crew drifted past the curtains, though much of it was dealt with the studio's top of the line air filtration system. 

The previous guest brushed past him with a smile as she exited the stage, and Vickie Vale’s sharp voice began her interdiction for his entrance. The nice beta lady with the clipboard and headphones looked up at him ready to give him his cue to enter. 

She held up her hand and counted down on her fingers. 3. 2. 1. 

Showtime.

He strode through the curtains with an easy buoyant gate that was a staple of his Brucie Wayne persona. A wide smile plastered across his face. His fangs flashing at the cameras. The audience applauded and someone even hollered. It had been a while since he had made a public appearance like this.

“Bruce Wayne everybody.” Viki introduced him with enthusiasm. 

He gave a few polite waves and settled onto the sofa that the guests used for the interview. He crossed his legs in a casual looking but entirely choreographed manner. 

“Happy to have you here.” Viki said. He deepened his smile and leaned forward slightly. 

“Nowhere else I would rather be.”

He lied with a smile, like a liar. He would much rather be home.

So, he could help his family. So, he could help comfort his feverish son through his presentation. 

The first presentation was often the worst. He had sent his kids out on errands to prepare. All except Tim. 

New Nest materials, snack foods, medical supplies, pack gifts and anything else they could think to get.

They couldn’t just get it all in one place that would make it suspicious as the materials they were getting clearly tended to advertise themselves as something omegas needed. At least when all gotten together.  

He would grin and bear this and coast his way through the interview.

How's the family? Developments from Wayne enterprise. Why are your children such public menaces? Socialite gossip . 

Regular talkshow interview questions. A few jokes jabing at his old ways and him settling down into pack life. Nothing new, but somehow always interesting to a ravenous public.

 Finally Vicky asked something that he knew she’d been wanting to since the beginning, the real meat of the show.

“How do you feel about these new laws?”

“I feel as if it is setting back equal rights by three decades,” Bruce sighed “it really is a shame don’t you think?”

“That’s an interesting take Brucie, after all this law’s meant to protect omegas from kidnappings.” 

This new law masquerade as a way for Omegas to gain a foothold in society, but in reality they were just a new way for the world to have more control over the vulnerable.

Bruce Wayne was not a fan of most laws to ‘protect’ Omegas, many of them were simply traps to keep alphas in control of them instead of real protections.

These were especially egregious, and were almost like a modern twist on the ancient laws that stated that unmated omegas became the property of the eldest heir or oldest alpha when a pack alpha passed away. 

“We in the Wayne family always strive for those down trodden and vulnerable communities we can aid.”

“Of course, your family has a long and well documented history in working with women’s suffrage, Civil rights and the many funds for the disenfranchised.” 

Vickie regaled slightly as if she were singing his praise.

She was likely referring back to his mother’s work advocating for women’s rights. Back in her youth, beta women weren’t even allowed to get credit cards without their husband’s approval. By the time she married his father they could. 

Omegas of all sexes had it worse. Many of the earlier laws that granted women rights outright ignored or refused to do the same for omegas. 

They didn't get their own suffrage until the 1970s, when the voter age was lowered.

“But, i dont think I'm mistaken in that we all took you for a family man.”

“I am.”

“You just gained a new addition recently andI say it's a fair assumption you don't plan on stopping anytime soon.”

“No comment on that last part.”

Viki just smiled like she did whenever she was going for the throat.

“All I’m saying is that if you do decide to continue with your adoption habits and one of your children turns out to be an omega. Would you not want to guarantee their staying within the safety of your pack? If god forbid anything happened to you as the head of the family.”  

Alphas were considered the heads of families while omegas were considered the hearts. At least that’s how it worked in theory. 

In practice it was a lot more complicated and depended on the make-up of an entire pack.

How many alphas were in the pack, how many and what kinds of betas and of course if a pack even had a pack omega. 

Often they didn't. 

“If so, I would want them to make their own decision on who to go with. If they wanted to stay with my pack or join a new one of their own.”

 He phrased it in the most socially acceptable way he could think of. As this was not his true feelings. Just a vizard of stronger feelings. 

“But at the moment that is not something I need to concern myself with. My pack has no omegas.”

Lies.

“Of course. I know this is an old and tired topic, but ever considered adding one? I know there's many out there who would happily submit to Brucie Wayne.”

Bruce just laughs, a bit awkwardly.

“Has not been too much of a  consideration Viki, though i don't doubt you are right. Though I doubt my children would easily approve. They can be quite…Picky.”

“Yes, yes, I remember when you dated that one model, your Oldest practically threw a bowl of punch on her!”

“He was eleven, but yes. Richard has always been a bit moody and wild.”

“Expected of a submissive beta, shame he isn't just an omega, he’s such a beautiful boy you would no doubt have marriage proposals from around the world! But some wild charm to the man suits him well.” 

Wild. 

That's how the world saw them.

Omegas were wild compared to Alphas. They were territorial in a different way and grew aggressive if something threatened their Alphas and their pups. 

Omegas had been known to tear each other to literal shreds because they thought that they fancied the same alpha. 

It was why the practice of keeping a harem was particularly dangerous. 

The only way to normally keep omegas together was to keep them in different rooms. 

At least when it came to non-related omegas, families tended to at least tolerate each other, in part because families tend to have similar scents.

Tricking the body into thinking that they were smelling their own pheromones or those of a beta. 

It's why packs only tended to have one omega. 

But on rare occasions a pride would form. 

Packs were common, An Omega, and their Alpha along with any Betas that they were willing to keep in their circle. Sometimes Packs could be formed from an Alpha with many Betas, perhaps another Alpha or two or rarely an all-alpha pack would form. Other times packs formed a sort of social hierarchy where a dominant pack helped provide for other smaller or weaker packs and they in turn would care for the rest of the community. That is what had once formed the ancient basis of many feudal systems. 

Prides were not that.

Prides were the things of legend. Things of horror stories, and things of peoples twisted fantasies.

Prides were seen as an affront to the natural order or god by many people. 

Where many Omegas lived together and formed their own pack with each other. Sometimes with bata members or even with an alpha or two in a non-dominant role.

Prides were said to disrupt the order of society, as the many omegas could use all their charms and persuasions to control or tear apart other packs or even bring Roaming packless alphas to do their bidding. 

Taking all the quiet passive power of an omega and multiplying it.

Lovesick.

 There were stories that had turned into legend: of Arthurian alphine kings lulled to service in the hypnotic words of an Omega who sat whispering sweet nothings into their ears. 

Of the omega Circie from Greek myth and the ways she tricked the men before she and her pride turned Odysseus’s men to pigs. 

Of entire armies and civilizations brought to their knees by conniving prides out for their own interest. Then legends of the power that could be wielded by anyone who controlled a pride. Those were just stories, but stories hold power in the mind of people. Much like how fear can inspire action so can stories. Stories color perspective, establish taboos and values, and what stories said about omegas often boiled down to one thing. 

Omegan Temptation 

Bruce sort of thought a lot of it was pure fabrication.

In theory a pride was a very similar structure to a pack. A family through blood or through bond. Yet a pride was something different. Omegas who formed their own relationships with each other. And woe be anyone who stood in their way. 

If they had any alphas and betas mingled in it was their business, not the world. From all of his research he had found no significant difference between packs and prides. Only the willingness to share bonds and not being territorial with each other.

He had even found some accounts that prides used to be more common in the past. Though not the case nowadays. They were rare. 

There was a high chance that his kids had formed the only pride in the whole of New Jersey. 

Prides were considered dangerous. 

They had not lost that innate danger that omegas had once had with their nature.

Most stories had softened the omega to be what society wanted them to be. Soft, Delicate, Docile, Nurturing, Beautiful, Desirable, Obedient, Emotional, Passive and Pleasant. 

Making them non threatening and frivolous. 

Not worth listening to. Not worth considering outside of their role in a pack. 

Alphas and betas all laughed and diminished omegas on their own. 

As far as popular society was concerned an omegas place was still, in the home, either in the kitchen or the bedroom.

After all, the world was built for Betas and ruled over by Alphas. 

Yet somehow this modern view never transferred over to the perception of prides.

People underestimated Omegas, they were rare and ill understood.

Batman knew better than to underestimate the power of an omega, after all Joker was one, and he did horrify things with that influence. Pushing his will onto those around him, enthralling his alpha goons to do his bidding. In turn those alphas pushed around their betas. 

Another one of his most notorious rouges was also an omega, Poison Ivy, known for her chemical manipulation of males and Alphas. 

To some extent he misinformation around omegas made sense. There were simply less of them around and even less research. 

Omegas were about 5% of the population, a bit less in reality but averages. Compare that to the 35% of Alphas and the rest being made up of the complicated Betas. 

Who were divided up by the spectrum of dominance and submissiveness. It was simple yet complex genetics that interacted with environmental factors. Nothing about it was really as simple as people seemed to think, but what the relatively simple society said you were, really mattered more than what the complex interplay of genetics and brain chemistry displayed in reality. If a beta said she was a woman, and society saw her as a woman she was a woman.
This grace wasn’t always extended to omegas in the same way it was to the other secondary sexes.

Then there was the whole ordeal with the superhero community. 

Most capes were against omegas acting as vigilantes, after all most of them were alphas or betas. 

Though there were some exceptions, mostly in the form of the actual aliens.

Superman for example was considered an omega, but he always confused Bruce’s senses; it was like a chameleon constantly changing skin. J’ohhn J’ones and his niece had no scent, as apparently the Martians didn’t have gender in the same way. Dick’s friend Starfire was an Alpha, and her planet did have this distinction, but the distribution was entirely different.  –Betas were a rarity and both Alphas and Omegas were roughly equal parts of the population. A very emotional species–  

Their newest member Captain Marvel had no discernable presentation scent, when he didn’t smell of electricity Bruce swore the man had the scent of a pup. Though the Captain never let anyone get close enough to really find out. 

But Most of his teammates were some flavor of human. Who all had their own flavor of ideas of what an omega ought to and ought not to do. 

One of the many reasons he could never tell them about his children’s natures.

It didn't matter if scent blockers removed distractions and dangers, it didn't matter that his son’s designation had been what saved his life. 

All that mattered is that omegas were seen as weak and delicate and too valuable for packs to be vigilantes.  

Perhaps he was being a bit over critical of his team mates.

He was quite certain that Diana would be accepting of the truth. Despite being an Alpha herself, she was from Themoscara, And though the island was entirely female in primary sex, they had a much more egalitarian society when it came to second sex. As long as you could prove your own might as a warrior, poet or queen themascarians did not care. 

He knew that in her eyes, all his children could prove themselves worthy of her respect. 

He also knew it would crush Jason’s feelings if his idol couldn’t respect him just because of his biology. His second son was already so insecure about his presentation. He didn’t need anything else to shake that confidence. 

Some of his other teammates he couldn’t be so certain about. Some didn’t believe that they should act as vigilantes in any regard, others thought that they could act as sidekicks or in Guy-In-The-Chair positions. 

This was just another reason he didn’t allow the other capes in Gotham. It was one thing for his rogues to occasionally speculate that the other vigilantes were omegas. It had been publicly acknowledged that the second Robin had been an omega. That was a secret exposed upon his supposed “death.” 

There had been such an uproar in the watchtower when that news was revealed. It only strengthened some capes resolve that omegas should not be capes. Bruce had lost some faith in his peers that day. He had kept careful watch over Jason’s comatose body that evening. 

There had even been a proposed ban on omegas even interacting with the capes community for a while. At least outside of the form of a victim. 

Diana, Supes and Batman himself had managed to shut those ridiculous motions down. 

He didn't see anyone complaining when one of their rouges was an omega. Poison Ivy for example showed how easy it was for an omega to be a rouge. It was about sending a message about control for her. 

Poison Ivy of course had lines she would never cross. Unless of course she decided to play jury judge and executioner for her eco-terrorism. 

 Poison Ivy had many valid points about her view of the world, even if she went about it in one of the most destructive ways possible.

It wasn't just her meta powers that made her a danger. Instead her use of her drugs and pollons. 

Her pheromones and pollons were all based around the things she could already do as an omega. 

Many of them were more of an irritation or distraction, such as her itch pollens and cuddle pollens. 

She knew how to make drugs and pollen that could do worse, she had in the past, but nowadays she was avidly against any type of drugging or influencing heats or ruts. She hadn’t been back when Jason was living on the streets. 

She didn't use them on undeserving omegas and children. She stopped working with those strains of her pollen when it was pointed out that it affected those groups as well. 

Nowadays she uses something different. Lower potency, and only in close range.  

Even then these only lowered their inhibitions, making people highly susceptible to coercion. 

Still not a joy to work with.

Yet some of his coworkers or other superheroes had the gall to still say they were glad that she wasn't their rogue and still turn around and deny that omegas could work as vigilantes.

“Richard has moved to Bludhaven, correct?” Viki snapped his attention back to the interview. 

The bright blinding lights overhead, the faux room, with its couches and little coffee table,its plastic plants and cream colored carpets, making it a facsimile of a cozy living space. 

It took Bruce just three seconds to long for his brain to catch up to the question as he stuttered out his answer.

“Ah yes, yes…Dick’s just graduated from Gotham University and is working in Bludhaven. He just moved up there last year.” 

He regained his composure. 

“But Blud’s nearby so he can come home as often as he wants to. In fact he is coming home today for a family dinner and game night.”

Family values, the Wayne brand had become one of family values as well as the old luxury it had always had. 

“Oh Game night, how cute!”

Vicki Vale smiled. 

“Speaking of games, I hear Wayne tech-industries is trying to expand into the gaming industry, but we’ll talk more about that and other topics including our viewer Q and A after the break!” 

With her cue, music started up from the band and the cameras were cut. 

Bruce stood up and stretched. He gave a pleasant smile and small talk to the people who offered him refreshments and touched up his stage makeup. He really wanted to be at home. His children were waiting for him. At least they were in one of the safest places in Gotham. Tim would be surrounded by his loving family and not in the cold mausoleum that had been his former home of drake manor. He would be safe in the nest. 

The stage director cued down that they were about to go on air again.

And the last thing he thought of before going back to his persona was he hoped everything had gone well at the store

Chapter Text

“Well, what do you think about this one?”

Dick held up a star covered blanket. Jason snatched it between his fingers and looked it over. Then nodded, he clearly approved of it, into the basket it went.  Dick was more of a pillow-fort nest builder, while his younger brother preferred blankets. They were buying new nesting materials in anticipation of Tim’s first Heat. The issue of course was that they couldn’t buy the materials while making it obvious that they were buying nest materials. They had a reputation to uphold, and secret identities to keep. 

The best way to do that was two fold, divide and conquer, and then space out purchases. Normally they would buy things they needed ahead of time and sporadically but Tim’s heat, No, his entire presentation, had come on suddenly and somewhat blindsighted them. Until a few weeks ago they would all have sworn Tim was a Beta. turns out he was just a late bloomer. 

Rest in Peace Tim’s peace and quiet, but at least now he got to join in on the general mayhem Dick and his other siblings cause to the fullest extent. 

Large parts of that, was their sole mission of giving the old man as many grey hairs as soon as possible. 

An especially favorite pastime of Stepanie’s and Jason’s. 

Jason finished adding in a second blanket to the pile and they were off to grab some more items. These were items they didn't necessarily need. But they helped disguise their primary purchases. Some of it were things that they just wanted. A sketchbook for Stephanie, an unhealthy amount of candies, some cleaning fluids that Alfred had actually requested they get. They weren't going to deny Alfred. Jason picked up a novel he’d been eyeing. Dick found some of the loudest and most obnoxious shirts he had ever seen and he decided that he needed those in his wardrobe. 

This would have been a lot more fun if all his siblings could be here, but that would sort of defeat the divide and conquer part of their precautions. They already had to ditch the sporadic part of the plan, and there was no way they where going to be sloppy with anything else. 

“Hay Jay, how much do you want to bet Stephanie picked out something purple to gift to Tim?”

His younger brother grunted. 

“You feeling alright?”

“Bit nauseous, must have eaten something.”

Dick eyed his younger brother. Taking a whiff of the air would be useless because of their scent blockers, especially Jason's heavy duty alpha scented ones. Before Dick could bring up any more concerns, Jason returned to the previous topic. 

“And what kind of Bet even is that? You know Girl-blunder will pick out something purple.”

Dick grinned. “I bet she’ll surprise us.”

“Bet!”

The two of them gathered a few other items around the store and found their way to the checkout line.

Only a few of the cashiers were open so the lines stretched out behind them. That was fine. They were in no hurry. 

Unfortunately some knuckleheads who stood behind them. A trio of Alphas who didn't have the common Decency to wear scent blockers or even cover up their glands. Bathing the area in their musky pheromones.

Jason groaned slightly and laid his head across the bar of the shopping cart. This could not be good for his nausea.  

Not only were the Alphas stinking up the place but they were talking loudly and obnoxiously like they were the only people who matter in the world. 

Being Alphas they might actually believe so.

“All I’m saying is there’s more action in it then what the softies nowadays want.”

“You’re just wanting to go back to the hunts because Kirsta rejected your advances.”

“Am not!” the man huffed. 

“Sure thing.” Dick saw her roll her eyes. “But I'm not against the idea myself, Back in the old days when packs could just take what they wanted.”

They were of course referring to the antiquated mate hunts. 

Long ago the hunts had been a practice where packs and Alphas would go out and claim omegas. A time where the packs of any given region fight each other for dominance. It had been a violent time. Those who didnt get one through courtship or through conquest often turned to theft. Stealing Omegas from their homes. Causing the alphas and packs that did have an Omega to fight tooth and nail to keep them. 

Wars had been waged. People of all presentations had been killed.

it had been an anticipated practice back when Alfred had been young.

It had been seen as too animalistic and brutalistic, creating a web of complex laws that still stuck around to this day.

That had been largely well established just prior to the American Civil War.

The fact that they wanted them reinstated was a clear failure of the American education system.

The woman reached over to pick up one of the protein bars that were displayed right next to the register, bathing the two brothers in her scent. 

The woman smelled like bread. Not bad but Dick seriously doubted that it helped with Jason’s nausea. He half wondered if his brother was sick. That would be bad if he wanted to be with the family during Tim’s presentation. Though any excuse to call sick from work was welcome. At least his regular job. 

Though maybe Jason wasn’t sick and just had a bad day. He had those on occasion after he had woken up from his coma.

“Could you three shut up.” Jason growled under his breath. The three offending Alphas unfortunately heard him. 

“It’s a free country man.”

Not the right response because Dickie’s brother stood up to face them at his full height.

Admittedly that wasn’t a lot, Jay had dealt  with malnutrition his formative years and then with the disadvantage his second sex gave him it didn’t help, but even so Jason was still 5’8 (176 cm) of mean, lean muscle.

He’d taken steroids and supplements after he joined the family with the intention of truly passing as an alpha.

It wasn’t like he had sports to worry about and unlike his other siblings who were satisfied with just masking their designation Jason was looking to change part of his.

He had the most complicated relationship with their presentation.

“Not everyone wants to hear your opinions”

Jason looked at the three with a tired glare. One that Dick knew well as he had been on the receiving end of it many times. 

“Shit luck man, it’s not like you”

“Maybe that's why you got dumped. You have no class.”

That riled the Alphas up and Dick reflexively scrunched his nose at the fresh wave of anger and aggression that wafted over them. He saw several other customers cover their noses or shift away from the trio. Jason gagged and groaned slightly but stood his ground. 

“I could take you any day, I work for the Hood.” the one he had insulted puffed up and gloated.

It was a common threat. With Black mask out of the picture the Red hood practically owned the west end of gotham. Where Park Row and the surrounding neighborhoods were located. Even people here in upper gotham had heard of the furious alpha crime boss and his gang of merry men.

Jason looked the man up and down with an appraising eye. Then in a flat voice said.

“No you don’t.”

“Of course I do.”

“Not with that attitude, no.”

“What would you know, you, your jacket looks like you swim in cash like a scrooge. Like you would know anything about lower Gotham.”

Dick noticed Jason's finger flex. A tale-tale sign he was about to unsheathe his claws. Not good. Not here. 

Only adult omegas have claws.

“Jay come on let's not go picking fights, not today.”

“Oooh so scary, look at this little Alpha, hiding behind his beta boyfriend.” The man teased.

Dick scrunched his nose up in disgust.

“Ok first of Eeeww, he’s my brother.”

The woman gave a doubtful look but Dick continued.

“Second, I suggest not causing a scene at the store. The line is long, the staff is tired and I'm quite certain” he pointed over to the hulking woman at the front of the store well within eyesight “that the security guard is currently on a hair-end trigger and wouldn't hesitate to kick you out of the store.”

Luckily the other guy seemed to not be entirely caught up in anger and pheromones so he convinced the other two to step down. 

Jason relaxed his hands.

It was their turn at the register. 

They paid and left. Taking the bus over to Amethyst Arcade. No need to worry about being easily robbed in the Diamond district in broad daylight.

 Cass was having a Blast.

One it was always a great time hanging out with her best friend and foster sister. Stephanie Brown was a riot and watching her dance through life was like watching lightning strike or fireworks.

Even the most mundane tasks became lively with her, only Dick and Duke came even halfway close to matching the blond’s enthusiasm for life.

Good thing too because the large home decor store they were at was stuffy, and choked with dust. 

Its dim lighting soured the look of the furniture it was supposed to advertise and sell.

They’d gone here because it was a local business.

As the Wayne Family they were still representing the family wherever they went. And that involves shopping at local venues to display their connection to the community.

That wasn’t normally a problem, Cass rather quite enjoyed the atmosphere of it. 

She just wasn’t keen on this particular place. It felt like a maze and a fire hazard.

Regardless Stephanie was here to brighten up the place.

They were finding gifts for Tim.

Gifts they could present to him for his first heat. Gift giving of this sort helped strengthen bonds in the pack. She had read back when she had gone to learn about herself that gift giving of this sort was an ancient practice and a good way to tell the omega that their pack, new or already formed, could provide to them in their most vulnerable time.

It was a show of acceptance. To assure them that they were not rejected.

a rejection to an omega in heat tore something in their psyche.

Something Cass knew well.

There was no one around this part of the store. Stephanie was admiring a purple plush pillow. Gifts were really only important for the first few heats. When the more delicate bonds between packs and families were more fragile.

Not having them could be detrimental to the person in the long run. 

It had been for both Cass and Jason.

“At least he’s with us and not all cooped up in that empty mansion.” 

Stephanie of course wanted to get something purple. But she wasn’t sure if Tim would like it. It would remind him of her at the very least. 

Cass nodded.

‘Better he is with us’ 

She already seemed to have something chosen out for him. No doubt so had everyone else. 

‘I remember my first one… it was lonely’

“Yeah.”

She looked over the purple pillow. It would certainly remind him of her… but it was also predictable. Not a big fan of being predictable.

‘Before I met Bruce.’

Stephanie nodded. Her’s had been before Bruce as well, but she had her mother to walk her through it.

Cass had her first one in an empty warehouse where she had hidden away in a collection of cardboard boxes, and packing materials. 

She had met the Batfamily soon after.

Jason had been in a worse situation. He’d been alone in the streets of crime ally and if he had not just stolen some tiers and used them as part of his nest’s lining they probably would not have their older brother in their lives.

Stephanie kneaded the pillow slightly judging the feel of the fabric below her hands. 

She hadn’t grown in her claws yet. But she could feel where the new muscles were stretched and released for where they would one day be.

Alphas had Fangs and brute strength, but Omegas were not defenseless.

Eventually she found a nice compromise. There was purple on this pillow but it was mainly grey and blue. With a pattern reminiscent of a circuit board. The present would either amuse the nerd or annoy him. So it was perfect. 

The two girls paid up and headed off to Amethyst Arcade to meet up with everyone else.

“Duke!”

Dick waved boisterously as they saw the dark teen with a megawatt smile as bright as his alter ego.

“How did it go?” he said as their group collected by the countain.

“Terrifying actually, I hardly knew where to look or how to spend money. I kept second guessing myself because it's just so much money. " The last pair was in an almost revenant whisper. “All my mind wanted to do was budget and puzzle together how to make everything last as long as it can.”

The other street kids nodded. They knew the feeling and had been much the same when they had first been brought into the family. The only one who couldn't relate well was Dick. Not because his family had been rich but because they had been able to provide.  

Duke was the newest addition to the family and having only recently joined he was still adjusting and getting used to his place in the family.

He was nervous as the new kid. And outside of his own presentation heat this was the first one he would be spending with the entire family there. Dick had spent his heat last month with an Alien princess. 

“Brother, brother, brother,” Jason leaned down on Duke's shoulder and shook his head full of coiled curls. “Let me tell you. We are here to eat his food and spend his money, and the old man still will not think he’s done enough for him.”

Stephanie and Cass nodded in agreement. 

‘He loves us’ Cass signed. 

She had an easy and confident smile on her lips. 

“I know, I’m…”

“Show us your spoils!” stephanie said snatching one of the bags and set it down on the  

“Hey Steph!” Duke reached out about to hiss out and whine, but stopped himself. He took a calm breath and steadied his emotions.

His parents hadn't been particularly conservative. They’d been living in the narrows, but Duke had still been conditioned into common beliefs around omegas. 

From his neighbors, from what his classmates said, and from the news. He took great care to not put up with anyone's bad acting. Calling out behavior in the best way he could. With quirked eyebrows and a take no prisoners attitude to bigoted behavior. Be it about his upbringing, race or anything else.

He still faltered sometimes, especially when it came to his nature.

Finding himself trying to not fall into the ideals around omegas.

To push himself to become a leader as he so wanted to do, as he admired Dick and Jason for. 

Omegas were not seen as leaders. They were seen as servants and followers of the leaders of the world there to lend support and be obedient.

Even in places where those ideas were challenged, omegas were still barred from leadership as they were seen as too emotional to take leadership roles.

Seen as unreliable.

Bullshit, as Duke had seen more of the Alphas in his school get into petty fights than he had the few omegas there.

Pack dynamics and highschool hormones were the worst.

Then again he’d seen grown Alphas pull the same stunts out on the streets as his vigilante persona.

Stephanie rooted through the clothes that Duke had picked out, snatching up a large coat and draping it over her shoulders.

“You got style Narrows, I'll give you that.”

“And you have decent taste, Bowery.” Duke snickered as she twirled around in the coat showing it and herself off like a strutting peacock.  

They looked through the purchases and found the clothes that they all wanted and what they were going to give to Tim. 

Heats as the name implies were hot. And having clothes that were nest appropriate was important. Especially because as Omegas the chances were high that they would all be experiencing something like a sympathy heat. 

A hot flash. They were something that submissive type Betas experienced when a pack Omega went into heat. Omegas did too. Made them protective and clingy. 

With Jason’s and Stephanie’s picks selected and handed back to Duke

Jason stood up and stretched.  

“Me and Bowery are headed to the east to get Alfred’s tea.”

Stephanie nodded and moved away from Cass over to Jason.

“Stay safe little wing, make sure he comes back to us in one piece Stephanie”

“Roger that Dickwing” she gave a mock salute and draped herself across Jasons’s back.

“Alright’nough of that, see you later.”

The two huffed and waved goodbye as they left out the doors to catch the trains over to the east end.

“Alright. Now fam, how long do we have before Alfreid comes to pick us up?”

“Little less than half an hour.” Duke looked up to the large clock in the mall’s atrium.

‘Twenty three minutes’ Cass signed. 

“Alright then team, lets get all the little things we can think of. We will make this the best experience Tim could ask for.”

Cass nodded enthusiastically and Duke smiled.

It was good to be part of a pride.

They were using public transport. Normally for Jason and Stephanie that was fine, but sometimes all the mixed scents with varying emotions wreaked havoc on Jason’s nose, making him nauseous a few times especially if he was getting close to his heat.

Jason groaned slightly and leaned his head against the back of his hand. There was no way he was going to get his face anywhere close to the Gotham city subway handrail that was like asking for pinkeye.

“You good there Jay?”

His foster sister asked.

“Just sensitive to everything today.”

“It’s been a month since Dick’s competition.”

It was a code word used for heat.

He nodded. Heats were quite a regular thing. Unlike ruts where there were two seasons in the year for alpha ruts. Once a year an omega’s heat would show up and last a week, followed by a week of menstruation. 

As long as nothing messes with them, be that a hormonal imbalance or the environment or pregnancy. They tended to come like clock work, give or take a few weeks or days.

When Jason had had his first few they had been all over the place, having several a year and at inconsistent times, even during his years in a coma. 

But he was eighteen now and with suppressants and hormone replacements they had stabilized and he now had a regular heat. Once a year, a month after Dick’s

“Oh, so your theater rehearsal and Tim’s skate competition are going to be at the same time?”

He nodded.

“Alright we’ll call a family meeting so we don’t run into any scheduling issues.”

He was warm, and clammy. But he didn't dare remove his jacket. It was doing a good job of covering his scent glands on his wrist and neck, and even with the scent blockers. 

He shifted slightly and buried his forehead in the crook of Stephanie's neck. Her skin was cool. 

Great, he was going to be delirious in a few hours.

“We’re almost there, big guy.” she gave him a sympathetic pat on his head. He whined. 

He was so glad for his pride.

They stepped off the subway and onto the street. They were headed to one of their stores that sold herbal teas in Gotham’s east end. It was the best place to get some herbs and teas that could help alleviate some of the symptoms of a heat. It helped that the store owner was discreet. 

Thank you Poison Ivy for the recommendation.

She felt she had owed him when he’d explained how her pollen had messed him up all those years ago.

“So with Tim… that makes all of us yha?”

He hummed. He could feel the cramping warmth in his abdomen. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to stay upright. No wonder those three assholes from the store had sent him into a frenzy. Dick had been there and he had seen them as a threat. Stupid hindbrain. 

At least his goons would have everything covered for the week. They were used to him vanishing from the face of the earth. Though part of him really itched to patrol.  

“Yup” steph said as she skipped over bits of debris on the sidewalk. “The old man must be spinning in circles in his head.”

“Yha you know it.”

“That's it then.”

“For now.”

“You know as well as I do that it's only a matter of when and not if Bruce finds another stray to take in.”

“Haha, of course.”

He would have to settle for stalking through the manor and making sure the perimeter was secure to settle his anxiousness. 

An anxious heat was not a good heat. 

The little bell to the store plunged when they entered and Jason almost gagged at how strong the smell in here was.  

He never went to this store when he was in preheat. For obvious reasons. But he just had not been keeping that great track what day it was. He had been too busy trying to finish up a case in the alley and making sure that his territory in Crime alley was secure to pay great attention to his health.

Alfred would be so disappointed. 

The trusty old beta was sure to make certain that Jason’s health was well looked after these next few days. 

He always did ever since he had been young and scared and recenting what his body was doing to him. 

It had been Alfred who had finally managed to calm him down after he had woken up and gone a bit feral. 

He honestly doesn't remember that period of time. People who enter such a state hardly do. The family had finally resorted to locking him in his room.

At least he had recovered.

He had been in a bad state. That including him relentlessly hunting Tim.

“I’m worried about Tim… and me, what if he will not want me around? I…I haven't been the best to him.”

Stephanie took down one of the tins from the shelf. A tea that was good for stomach cramps.

“No way he’ll reject you from the pack dude. You're his hero.”

“I did try to maul Tim that one time.”

“Dude, he’s forgiven you for that, you were… indisposed, and had just woken up from a coma with a stranger in the room.”

“I almost killed him.”

“But you didn't, that's all that matters, and now we’re all singing kumbaya and whatnot.”

“Not our family.”

“Ok ok, sure, but you know what i mean.” 

Jason sighed regardless and sat down on one of the step stools in the shop.

“If he’s going to reject anyone, it’ll be me, I threw a brick in his face, and I've been an ass to him.”

“No worse than me, Blondie.”

“God we’re both Assholes.” she chuckled lightheartedly.

“Eh comes with the territory I guess.” 

She nodded.

The two of them went up to the nice Omega woman who ran the shop and got their purchases. She took one look at Jason over her horned rimmed glasses and included an extra tea.

Outside Alfreid waited to pick them up with a drowsy Tim in the back.

Chapter Text

Because the Waynes kept the secret of their presentation, they also kept a secret room in the manor for the nesting needs of their young pride members. 

The room had been built with the intention of being a nest. A common occurrence in households that could afford it. The thing with Wayne manor was that it was old. 

So the room had been built back when the practice of Omega theft was still common. And had remained mostly untouched for a few decades as the last omega that had lived in the manor had been Thomas Wayne’s grandmother. 

The room was soundproof and sealed scents in and then were easily vented out. 

The room was also made with sound dampening in mind. Because Omegas had especially sensitive hearing. If it was not normal it sometimes bordered on the enhanced senses of the kryptonians. Though the kryptonians were horrifying in so many small ways.

Yet the batfam loved them. 

The room was round and had a built-in divot. It probably held the records for one of the largest nests in sheer size. But no one outside of the family had seen the room in decades and few people knew about it.

It was a secure room.

One of several hidden rooms and passages that Wayne manor had and the second best kept secret of the house. 

 All of the current family Omegas were crowded into the room. Rearranging things to their liking. Bruce was still out and likely would start his interview in a few minutes. 

Jason had passed around the entire manor twice but now he had settled down and built up a wall of blankets, that Dick was happily adding too.

“Oh quit hogging space Dickface.”

Jason huffed as he shoved a pillow at his brother’s face.

He had kicked his leg out and draped it over a particularly built-up wall of pillows. 

Dick just huffed and added more pillows into Jason’s portion of the nest. A portion that was now starting to smell strongly of apples and cinnamon sugar, his normal old books smell had almost faded completely. The normal wetness that accompanied it had completely vanished. Meaning Jason had fully entered preheat.

“How’s your territory going to do without you hood?”

Jason maned and rolled over onto his stomach smushing his head into the blankets he had laid out.

“I texted my commanders that I'd be out for a while, they’ll be fine, the guys know how to handle things.” He huffed. “Not like I don’t already disappear at random”

He murmured as Duke set up his makeshift tent and pillow fort set up with dozens of blankets, including some of the newest ones they had procured from their shopping.

Ones that Tim hasn't accepted. 

There was a 75% chance that at some point during this next week Jason would drag the rest of the family in there when his paranoid pacing told him that it was the safest place to hide. 

Dick happily patted the wall he had formed. Shoving scented articles of clothing in the crack of the nest wall. 

Jason squirmed over to him and punched up on him dragging the oldest down onto the nest properly.

Dick yelped but didn't struggle as Jason latched onto him and buried his nose against his neck.

“You smell like cotton candy.”

“So I've been told little wings.” 

 Dick whined slightly when he noticed they had knocked down a portion of his wall. Duck swooped in and fixed the issue their leader called attention too.

With the wall corrected Dick relaxed into Jason's hold.

“And you say I’m the one who gives octopus hugs.” Jason only grumbled as he buried his head entirely in his older brother’s neck.

“It’s not like you can blame him right now; he’s got cuddles on his mind.” Steph giggled as she nuzzled her head onto Richard’s stomach, resting her head right between his ribs and hip bone.

“Don't you have  a tower to finish Blondie?” 

“It can wait a minute. You make a great pillow.”

Their attention was caught when the door to the room opened and Alfred entered along with Cassandra and a Dazed looking Tim.

“Mmmh Timbo!”

Jason purred at them. 

Tim gave a slight bow and purred back.

“Timmmber come here!” Jason keened.

“I see you have well and already entered preheat Master Jason.” The older beta nodded.

“Mmh yes. Things are all warm and safe.”

“How did things go Alfred?” Dick detached himself from Jason and Steph who scrambled over to Cass to help her carry in more materials.

“Things went well. Tim has taken the medicines to help with the worst of the cramps and accepted the meal. 

“Good, good. How are you feeling Tim?”

“Gross and sticky and like someone stuffed my head full of cotton.”

“I understand. Join us in the nest and we will show you how to build one.”

Dick helped Tim climb down into the divot and set to work showing Tim how to build up the walls of the nest and explained to him why the walls were good and how high to build them. While Stephanie muttered counterintuitive instructions as she pilled pillows higher and higher into a mountain. 

Alfred smiled at this. He had remembered when Dick had first presented that the young lad didn't have anyone to show him these things.

Dicks mother had been an omega, but Master Dick had not presented when the elder Graysons passed. 

Bruce had tried but fumbled a lot in trying to build Dick’s first nest with him. 

Alfred had not been much help either. He had a hard enough time trying to raise an Alpha as a neutral Beta. Barely understanding that he had also been expected to join the nest as well.

Now he looked out over his little horde of grandchildren with pride. His adoptive son had done so well. Had grown into a fine Alpha, and now his own pups were growing into a strong pride of their own.

Alfred nodded with satisfaction. Master Bruce was on his way to the interview right now and the children were safely in the nest. He decided to take the last bit of time he could to make sure everything was in order.

Nest building had gone well…ish. Tim was lousy at it. But it was his first go at it and everyone built nests differently.

Dick had left, leaving Tim to sit in the middle of where everyone else was building up the nest as they preferred. It was a ramshackled ordeal that wasn't normal by any means. And something seemed to be agitating a now hazy headed Jason as he paced around Tim protectively. 

Tim for his part had draped a blanket over his shoulder and seemed to be halfway out of it. His strong new coffee and cream smell taking on a sweet note like coffee ice cream.

Jason yanked at a red pillow placing it below the blankets, then seemed to abruptly change his mind. He seemed satisfied for about a minute before he violently yanked the pillow out, shook it like a rabid dog and tossed it across the room like it had personally insulted him, his grandmother and his entire livelihood. It plopped against the wall, almost hitting Dick in the face from where he was returning after fetching more snacks and water.

Jason and Dick hissed at each other, claws flexed and ready to strike.

 Neither of them would bow out.

This caused an immediate chain reaction in the rest of the omegas. Duke ducked into his tent. Cass and Stephanie stopped what they were doing and Tim sank down into the blankets like he was afraid someone was going to hit him.

His scent souring slightly agitated the two brothers even more. 

This would not do. Cass stepped between them.

Cassandra had always been talented at reading people and their emotions, but ever since she presented as an omega the skill had gone from uncanny to downright terrifying in accuracy. As long as she was careful to not let her preconceived ideas on someone cloud her judgment, it was almost like she was an actual mind reader. 

In fact, she was better at it than some metas.

Before coming to live with the Wayne’s, Cass had found a place in an abandoned warehouse where her first nest had been made of piled up packing peanuts, old sheets, bath towels and flattened cardboard. Her nests were a lot flatter than her siblings,  it truth be told her favorite nesting materials were her nest mates. To have them nearby, creating a barrier with just them against the world. So she never did much when they were building up their nest. Just waited for them to be satisfied and then she would wedge herself in where she felt the safest.

Where she could bring her nest mates the most comfort.

 Unfortunately right now two of them were all agitated. That would be no good. Tim couldn't have the two at each other's throats. 

She wanted to mewl at them. 

But the subtle sounds that omegas used to communicate with each other and their pups had never come natural to her. 

Just like speaking never had.

She gently pushed her jasmine and shadow smell out and let it calm her brothers. They quickly retracted their claws. 

Both gave her a slight bow of respect. Telling her that she didn’t need to worry about a fight actually breaking out in-between them.

She appreciated that even it wasn’t necessary. But she accepted their surrender and brought her attention back to Tim.  

He was groaning miserably as Duke, now crawled out from his tent, tried to present different materials for Tim to try and make a nest with. Though Tim seemed to be rejecting most of them.

Nearby a happy and content Stephanie added her violets and lavender to the nearby mountain of pillows she had completed. Duke had completed his tent-like structure. Even if Jason would eventually invade that space.  

 Dick settled down next to Tim and Stephanie made her way over as well.

“How's nesting going? You thirsty?”

Tim shook his head and sighed.

“I’m no good at this… it doesn't feel natural… no it does, i just i can't wrap my head around this logically. Like I still feel like it's not really real. Like all my life I was expecting to be a beta… like both my parents. At the same time this feels right.

“Hhm it's never going to stop feeling a bit surreal, I think it's called euphoria or dysphoria.” Jason mumbled into a pillow.

Tim had clutched onto a pillow of his own. It was the one that Stephanie had gotten for him. He kneaded it worryingly. 

“There's just so much more to consider now, like I didn't have to think about walking down the street alone but now I do, and what will my team think about my new behaviors, and i have to always think about what i wear and scent blockers and now I need to keep tracks of heats and not being caught.” he rambled.

“Chill baby bird, we’re here to guide you all the way.”

“At least with you two it will make things a bit easier to track. Dicks a month ahead, then Tim and Jason are within the same week.” Stephanie laughed as she constructed a burrow for herself. She preferred a mixture of blankets and pillows. Often piled up so she had a vantage point to watch out for dangers. During her actual heats and not the little warmths she would have alongside her family's heats, she could sometimes build absolutely monstrous towers. 

Tim let out a forlorn sight.

“I can't even figure out how to build a nest right.”

Don't worry about it Tim. there's no real right way, and until you figure out what you are doing and what you want, we can all share in making yours.”

Tim seemed to actually look around him and take in his surrounding s for the first time as his eyebrows raised in surprise.

“Oh”

He buried himself into the the gifts his family had gotten him. Running his fingers along the edge of the star blanket Jason had picked out. He smiled.

“This is perfect.”

A few hours later and the Den was choked thick with sweet fruity and floral scents. The Omegas not entering their heat had been bathed in the preheat pheromones and were starting to feel the warmth spread throughout their limbs and well. Making them release their own soft sweet smells in return and making everyone very drowsy. They wanted their dad there. As their pride’s alpha it was his job to watch over them in this first sleepy period. 

He wasn't here but knowing he would soon come helped. So did the pile of clothes they had stolen from his room with his scent helped too. 

Jason was curled up around Bruce’s pink bathrobe. 

“How are you holding up Tim?” Duke asked as he moved a handful of nesting materials out of the way. 

“It’s hot, miserable and sticky…. I hate it. Why couldn’t I have just been a Beta?”

He buried himself deeper in the sweatshirt he had stolen from Bruce.

“Oh this will be so fun, you’ve barely gotten started and you’re already whining like a wimp.” Stephanie laughed and rolled over. There was clearly no actual bite to her words as she gently head-butted Tim’s side.

Duke and Cass both nodded sympathetically with Tim’s struggles.

“It’s tough man, you remember when I got my first one.”

Tim groans slightly behind the sweater. “Yha I can’t forget.”

“Didn’t help you had barely settled in a month before you presented.”

Thomas grunted in acknowledgement.

“I’m still so embarrassed, I barely knew what was going on, they don’t talk about this stuff in school, and you can’t look anything up online without seeing things you can’t unsee.”

“We’re just happy Bruce snatched you up before you presented in the foster care system.” Jason hummed and threw an arm over his newest foster brother. Practically draping the robe over him with the action.

“Speaking of Bruce, does anyone know how long until he gets back? Tim looks like he is starting to melt.”

“Show should be airing in an hour; interview takes roughly twenty minutes, and it will take forty-five to get back here and at least five minutes to change into Nest appropriate clothing.” Tim mumbled as if he were a voice recording.

“Do you want me to call Alfred in here in the meantime?” Dick shifted to get up but Tim hissed.

“No. Let him alone for now. He can join in when he wants too.”

“More likely when Jason gets super protective tomorrow.”

“So we should let him get everything he wants done.”

“We can't put everyone’s life on hold, just because we’re dealing with hormones.” Stephanie hummed.

 She finally decided that the shirt she was wearing got too hot so she took it off and tossed it up on top of the pile.

“Thank god for betas. Don't think society would survive without them.”

“I don't know, Tamaran’s mostly alphas and omegas and their societies still standing.” Dick hummed as he played with Jason’s curls.

“Mmhm an all Betas society… wouldn't that be something.”

“Probably a lot less drama.”

“I’d say there would be more drama, they wouldn't be able to understand each other's emotions as easily.” Duke also tossed his overshirt onto the pile and settled down next to Dick and Jason. The Girls flanked Tim’s side.

“What a thought.” 

Tim let out a tired sigh. One that a few of his siblings repeated.

“All of this sucks.”

“You can say that again.” Duke hummed.

“You lot have it easy.” Jason mumbled as he began rearranging blankets the way he liked them.  “Just wait until you guys hit the age your claws start growing in. they’re a real pain in the ass. I couldn’t grab things for months.”

Dick and Cass nodded.

“Gee, more things to look forward to.”

Cass patted Tim with a there-there motion.

“There's lots of great things about being an omega too, you just have to learn to take the good with the bad.” Dick assured all of the younger omegas.

“Like what?”

 “They are a bitch to grow in, but the claws are actually quite useful.”

“I’ll actually second that.” Jason finally settled down again.  

“Oh, oh, slightly better reaction time…as long as you’re not in heat.”

“You’ll still be able to hear us shit talk people in higher frequencies.”

“Mmhm…and”

“Oh I know one.” Duke hummed “We’ve got stronger immune systems.”

“Good to know if I ever lose my spleen or something.”

Tim retorted. 

“Don't omegas have a crazy high pain tolerance or something?” he asks.

“Yeah, it's why Bruce is always on Dick’s ass about walking off injuries. ‘ Just cause you can't feel it doesn't mean it's not fine .’ or ‘ report all injuries Nightwing, we can't have you passing out in the field again. ”

“That was one time.”

The entire pride hummed a disbelieving note and Dick switched his tone 

“Ok maybe more than once…But Bruce just worries too much! I don't see him like this with Cass and Stephanie!” 

“Me and Cass may have even higher pain tolerance than you, being girls and all, but he doesn't need to get onto us because we don't hide that we’re hurt!”

Dick huffed and Jason gave a low rumbling laugh at the eldest’s expense.

“We’ve got better memory and multitasking skills,” he continued. “There’s plenty I don't like about being an omega, but I like a lot of things too. You’ll see how you feel about it in a few years –or weeks, but if you aren’t comfortable with it. I know for a fact the Old Man will help you in any way he can to get your second gender to a point where you can live happily.”

Tim hummed in thoughtful agreement “Ok, Ok, so it's not all bad. If I really can't stand being an omega I'll talk to Bruce about it, I just… I just think this was a surprise is all.” he hummed and let out a faint squeaky purr.

That was new, he had never purred before. He couldn't say he didn't like it. Especially when his purr was answered by one from all of his pride members. The sensation was lulling him to sleep.

Perhaps this was something he could get used to.

Tim had finally fallen asleep. Soon enough Jason joined him in dreamland. Duke and Stephanie did a sweep and securing of their surroundings before laying down and falling asleep themselves. Wafting lightly sweeter scents of their own.

Dick double checked that they had all the water that they would need, and Cass was rearranging some of the pillows leading up to Steph’s perch. 

But over all their nest was exactly as they liked it.

Chapter Text

Bruce Wayne might have been going twenty five miles over the speed limit. That was the last thing on his mind as he raced his way back home. 

The interview had ended on time, but afterwards Viki Vale had insisted that Bruce stay for a little while longer to answer some other questions for an upcoming magazine article titled “ Bruce Wayne's adoption problem: when will it end? And why are his kids menaces? ’” 

Everyone knew that the best way to get Bruce Wayne to argue vehemently for something was to attack his kids. 

So he had stayed behind just long enough to defend his children and their general mischief. Not that Gotham even knew the half of all the real trouble his mischievous children got into. 

The whole interview left his mind spinning and the worry for Tim had only increased it. So when he got down to the station’s garage and received some news he was out of there like a bat out of hell.

The text had been from Alfred informing him that Jason had also gone into heat. 

He was disappointed with himself for forgetting that it had even been a possibility. Jason had just always been irregular. It wasn't until recently his hormones had settled well enough for his heats to become regular.  

So here he was speeding through the suburbs heading to Bristol. 

Alone with his thoughts and the dark road ahead of him. 

Head beams cut though the night just as uncertainty cut through his rational mind.

He wasn’t certain about a lot of things. He was also worried about a lot. Their family’s night life was also another thing giving him premature gray hairs. That was fine he could deal with a silver fox reputation. 

He would have had premature gray hairs regardless if his family had all been alphas or betas, no doubt. Vigilante life was a stressful life. 

They had plenty of enemies who would no doubt take advantage of their second sex.

 His oldest had confessed to him a year ago of the unpleasant advances of a certain mercenary named Slade, who had made some of his son and his friends’ life a living hell. Slade . 

Of course, they were certain to take all the precautions that they could. They all wore sent blockers – both in and out of costume—a standard practice among many parts of the vigilante community, as it was for assassins. Scent blockers could only do so much. 

A second precaution that they took had to do with their uniforms. High neck guards functioned both for protection but helped block out scents form the neck glands. Gloves and long armored sleeves for the wrist glands. 

All of it great for protection but masking scents was just another boon.

It was a bit dodgier when it came to their civilian identities. Again, scent blockers did only so much.  Each one of his children had a different approach as to what they were publicly presented as. 

Dick, Duke and Cass all went around presenting themselves as submissive gene betas, the easier route in all honesty. Tim had mentioned wanting to continue acting as a neutral gene beta. All fine by him. 

Jason and Steph on the other hand. They both wanted to go about this the hard way. Trying to convince the world that they were Dominant Gene Betas, or in Jason’s case he wanted to try to convince the world that he was an Alpha. 

He was happy to accommodate his children’s varied gender presentation. 

Both their real ones and their fake ones.

All of this was a bit of a risky gamble, as unlike their uniform that had the extra grace of the high neck guards, their civilians’ identities couldn’t go around wearing collars. 

For one thing, Bruce never wanted to see a collar on any of his children, it was a sign of ownership in a way that other things were not. It also boiled his blood that if the truth of his children’s life was public knowledge it would be expected of them to wear collars. Considered inappropriate that they didn’t. 

Decent society also dictated that at this point his children should be married off and pupped. Especially Jason and Cass who were eighteen. He had gotten a few offers for Dick who was twenty-two and practically an old maid in some people's eyes, this was despite the fact that the public thought he was a beta! Those same people were of the opinion that he should be seriously considering offers for Tim and Stephanie who were both sixteen. That was if he wasn’t planning on claiming them himself. After all, none of them were blood related. So that would be less of a scandal than marrying off literal children. 

Bruce really hated his society sometimes. There was plenty of good all over the world. This part of it he could do without. 

He gripped the steering wheel harder. The  leather creaking under his large hands. 

This car would need to be aired out after this, otherwise there was a small chance the pungent musk of angry alpha might permanently stain the upholstery and leather. 

The media knew that Bruce Wayne was fiercely protective of his children. Yet for some reason they seemed determined to always egg him on.

At this rate they might accidentally send him into a protective Rut. out of season too!

 More than one reporter had ended up maimed after they had gotten ahold of an unfortunate photograph or piece of gossip about any of the Wayne children. 

So Viki Vale’s followup questions had really set him on edge.

Gotham gossip circles were ruthless and he had always been a particularly popular topic.  

It was a bit expected, after all there were a lot of rumors about him and all his children. A lot of them are harmless, but some are less savory. At least an eighth of Gotham believed that at least some –if not all—of his children were Bruce's secret bastards.

He could deal with those rumors.  

There was a twisted protection in them. Kept people from poking holes in the right places. 

The reddest of herrings.

Anything that helped protect them pleased is instincts. His so-called Alpha.

He knew to his children his protectiveness could come across as a bit overbearing at times. It was something he saw with his oldest especially. He worried if sometimes his over cautious nature was stifling his oldest potential list of partners. Though he also knew that despite his overprotective nature Richard had somehow still amassed a harem of redheads as potential suitors. 

His oldest son's dating life frustrated him, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but be thankful that Dick was able to choose who he was with on his own terms.

He knew that his willingness to let his oldest strike out on his own was a bit unorthodox. –not to mention the pearl clutching that would occur if people knew –.  A submissive type beta came like all genders with certain expectations. To their roles in a pack. They often took the place of an omegas role when a pack didn't have one. 

A freedom in who their partners were was not that common, there was still an expectation that the subetas partner would be dictated by their original packs alpha. The ability to explore and choose was something usually only afforded to neutral betas and dombetas. 

He guessed if he was using the proper terms they would be Deltas and Lambdas respectively.

Though plenty of people still happily used the older terms.

Some traditions were not all that bad.

Society was built on structure. Something he was very familiar with both as Bruce Wayne and as Batman. 

Alphas lead and gave orders,

Lambdas enforced the Alpha’s will,

Betas stabilized and mediated,

Deltas obeyed and aided, 

And finally Omegas served and pleased. 

Bruce knew in certain conservative households the role of omegas was one of service and obedience to exist to be silent and obey the pack’s alphas every desire.

Very few packs actually lived up to these expectations. Not to mention these roles and ideals shifted between culture to culture, and even within different time periods. 

Yet this was what society still expected. This placed his children in danger in a world that still wishes to conserve faulty ideals. For some idealized nonexistent past. 

Ideas that Wonder woman, an actual ancient being, had laughed at when she had heard them talked about at a league meeting. 

But ideals could still harm.

He knew other ancient beings who had very different ideas on the subject as well.

He didn’t want to think about what would happen if someone like the League of Assassins got their hands on his children. Talia had explained to him years ago about how desperate her father was for an heir. She was an Alpha certainly, but she was also a woman. So, in her father’s eyes, neither she nor her sister were suitable heirs.

 He and her had tried to have a child together, but as was the case with a lot of Alpha/Alpha couples there had been complications. She had lost the child. 

But she had explained that in the League omegas only had one use. Children trained who presented as omegas were considered a wasted investment. 

After all omegas could have pups reliably and often had twins and triplets. Though some of his children had been trained as assassins in their youth, he also knew that Ra’s Al Ghoul was interested in some degree in most of his children. They were, after all, trained by him. If they had not been so morally different on certain ideals, then Ra had made it no secret that he had considered Bruce to be an excellent candidate to be his heir. 

Talia had no such softness for his children. Though she was mostly indifferent to them she would not hesitate to make their lives more complicated. One of the long list of reasons their relationship could never work out. 

Bruce sometimes woke up from nightmares where one of his children, screaming out for him to come save them. 

 No one way or another he found himself on constant high alert to ensure the safety of his children. Their lives would be ruined if their identities as omegas came out. 

It did make him happy that he wasn't the only one protective of their family. 

His second child, the pup with a fierce protective streak that made him take matters into his own hands to help the places of Gotham that he had all but abandoned himself. 

Bruce could not approve of all of Jason's methods. – Did you approve Jay’s plan on decapitating a bunch of people , Tim had mentioned offhandedly in the cave one night, He’s WHAT?! They had put a stop to that particular plan. – 

Jason’s return to the family and waking world had been a mess. Such a different young man from the bright child he had been before the incident. For a while Bruce feared he had lost him to that darkness he had once seen in him.

Eventually they figured out many of his issues were stemming from his protectiveness. 

If that protectiveness came out in the form of him wanting to take care of the entire Ally so be it. They had come to their agreements. 

Things were still a mess, but they were getting better.

He had to hope they were getting better.

He ran a red light. 

At least this time he would not need to worry about getting there on time. They were safe. 

Bruce was glad for an omega’s ability of keening, a distress signal sent out to their pack, that even the less sensitive hearing of alphas and betas could pick up on. 

It had saved his children’s lives on several occasions. Jason would no longer be with them if he hadn’t had that call. 

When Stephanie had run afoul of Black Mask. 

He’d tried to command her. She’d scratched his eye out. 

When Dick had been in more than one tricky situation.

When Jason had been in that warehouse with Joker.

The keening had always sent him into a protective rut. 

A rut was a lot of things. 

The seasonal one that all alphas experienced once a year. Then there were the ones entered in response to change in a pack's dynamics or a great need to protect the pack.

Much like an alpha’s warning voice and command where ways to steer a pack away from danger and keep order among the members, an alphas ruts where about control. 

Controlling the safety and prosperity of a pack, control to make sure they could provide, and control to keep away dangers and aggressors. 

Control was power, and power could be both good and bad.

People seemed to forget that the power went both ways. 

An Alpha without a pack was vulnerable. An alpha within the pack could also be vulnerable. 

That was a thing about packs. The bow, the inclination of the head, exposing one's neck, was the great signifier of submission. 

It was a way to show the ultimate form of trust.  

The submissive members of a pack were often seen tucking themselves under an Alpha’s chin. An action most common among omegas but even seen among some betas. 

Wolves had been seen doing similar things in the wild, some apes did as well. 

A submissive position. 

Even if it was a position where the omega could easily defend the alpha’s most vulnerable spot, where they could just as likely turn around and rip out the alphas jugular. 

The trust had to go both ways. 

A good Pack has many defenders.

**

He slowed down to turn into the road that led to the countryside surrounding Wayne Manor. He’d soon reach the driveway.

Apparently a good Pride also had many defenders. 

If the way his children interacted was any indicator. There wasn't much information on prides outside of their legends as temptresses and castle topplers.

Yet he had seen them defend each other. They didn't duck under each other's chins as an omega or delta would do to an alpha. Instead they stuck together, circled each other and watched each other's backs. Grouped together and were very chatty in tones Bruce was well aware he could not hear outside of their purrs and chittering. 

Safety in numbers.

He had also seen their little head bobs and bows he secretly found so cute, but would never dare tell them that as he knew they would bully him relentlessly for it. 

His children already bullied him enough. 

He knew that a bow between omegas were not about submission, they were about respect. 

He pulled up to the property wall and keyed in at the gate before starting his way up the driveway. He had hardly pulled the automobile into park before he bolted out of the car door and up to the manor’s portal.

 It was already well past dark. Barbra Gordon had informed him that Gotham seemed quiet tonight, and that the Birds of Prey were handling patrol. Alongside Batwing and Bat-woman. So, he should go and be with his family. 

He entered the house and was greeted by Alfred. 

“How are they?”

“The young masters of the house have all retired to the room. When I checked on them twenty minutes ago there had been some light argument over a red pillow, but it seems things are going well. They are expecting you to join them.”

Bruce let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. 

He had really worked himself up on the drive back. He took a few steady breaths before making his way up to the hidden room. He found the hidden switch unlocking the entrance.

Bruce quietly opened up the door to peek into the room. His horde of children had all piled themselves in the far-right corner. 

Steph was draped down from where she had built a perch. Her arms were interlaced with Cassandra’s and somehow between them was Tim.

Duke was halfway beneath a blanket propped up like a tent. A large tent was set up a bit further away. He remembered Duke once mentioning that the canopy overhead helped dull lights and sounds that grew so much worse during his heats and sometimes caused Duke heat induced anxiety attacks. He was slightly entangled with Jason. Dick the oldest had somehow curled himself around all his siblings.

He let out a sigh.

Dick perked up his head and bleary eyed looked up at Bruce.

“It's just me Dick.”

He whispered softly. Dick chuffed and buried his face back in Tim’s back. He slipped back out of the room and went to his own, where he found nest appropriate clothes to change into. Alfred bid him good night and said he would check in on them in the morning. Knowing that Jason would eventually want him in the room as well. 

The young adult was fiercely protective on a good day, during his heat he was a dragon guarding its horde. If he had it his way the whole manner would be on lockdowns for the entire week. 

With that in mind Alfred had a few things to still attend to.  Bruce met up with the old butler after changing. He had just come back from properly parking the car.

“You forgot your coat and gloves sir.”

“Thank you Alfred, where would I be without you.”

“Wer indeed sir.” the man gave him a sly smile. 

“How soon before you are willing to join us?”

“If Master Jason allows it, I'll have all my orders sorted in two days. Now sir, go be with the pups, they need you.”

Bruce chuckled. “they would all throw a fit if they heard you say that.”

“I’m well aware, good night Master Bruce.”

“Good night Alfred.”

Bruce made his way into the dimly lit den. He stopped just outside of the nest’s wall. Dick had woken up again, he had let out a mild growl when there had been a large figure suddenly at the edge of the nest. Bruce quickly scent out his own earthy brown sugar and leather smell. Dick clearly recognizing him, purred slightly and bowed his head to let Bruce cross over the nest’s protective wall.

He smiled as he could spot the different sections that his different children had built up. It was an excellent nest. Much improved compared to all those years ago when Dick had first presented and Bruce and Alfred had struggled trying to help the small scared pup build his first nest. 

Their family was so strong now. 

Bruce circled around to the other side of the group compared to Dick. Protecting the flank, something in his hind brain urged.  He laid down and got comfortable in his plush surroundings. He could feel his nerves settle, his muscles relax in a way they rarely did.

He allowed the sense of total safety wash over him. His arms draped over the nest's wall. 

He was tired, but unlikely to fall asleep. He was their scentenal. 

He would still get better rest than he had in a while. 

At some point he had drifted off. Only to wake up to find Tim had wiggled his way over to him. Tucking his head up under his chin and using his chest as a pillow. Bruce hummed and gently petted his son’s head. Tim was usually so shy of physical contact. For good reason too unfortunately. But here he was seeking out Bruce as a steady safe place to nap. It made Bruce happy and warm.

It didn't take long for several of his other children to also move close to him.

Content, Burce closed his eyes and went to sleep.

It was midmorning and perfect time for brunch. Alfred skillfully cut up a variety of fruits and berries, a bunch of other small finger foods were  collected and placed in bowls and on the trays. 

Omegas tended to not get hungry during their heats. So small portions and easy to grab foods were ideal. Jason when he was younger and just arrived at the manor had told Alfred he had read somewhere that charcuterie boards were first developed as a way for the French betas to dote on their pack partners. 

He had smiled at his little kitchen helper then. The older Beta missed his kitchen helper today, as Jason was no doute still asleep. Good as the young man needed to get more sleep.   

He had banned most of the family from the kitchen. Duke had not been around long enough to receive a ban yet. Tim was a surprisingly competent cook. As long as the dishes the young omega prepared were simple. Then of course Jason had almost free reign over the kitchen. The rest of the family were banned. 

Cass could use the kitchen when she was supervised. She had burned herself one too many times. Bruce, Stephanie and Dick were completely banned.  All of them had burned something, set fire to something or caused other mayhem.

 He finishes cutting up some strawberries and pears. And setting them on the board. 

Next he moved on to placing some little baguettes in a basket. The main part of the meal. He would do everything in his power to make certain the family got some healthy calories in them. 

Satisfied with his arrangement of meats, cheeses, fruits, berries, breads and vegetables he grabbed a few small plates… likely to be ignored but he could hope and made his way to the Den.

To absolutely no one's surprise. They were asleep. 

Almost all of them. 

Almost. 

Cass and Duke were awake. 

The two looked up to Alfred.

“Good morning you two. All well in the nest?” Cass nodded in response. 

“Wake up your siblings for me, I come bearing fruit.”

“Alfred you are the greatest, did anyone ever tell you that?” Duke mumbled as he shook his head and jostled Dick to wake up.

“Mmhm what?”

“Food sleepyhead. Wake Jay, I don't feel like getting slashed.”

“Mmrgh alright”

After another round of gentle poking and prodding the family was all awake though in various states of consciousness. Alfred sat with them as they all shared lunch. 

They even got some food in both Jason and Tim.

Alfred happily spent the meal with them. 

Chapter Text

There was a gala at the Wayne family estate celebrating the social debut of one Damien Wayne. A rare opportunity that could not be passed up by anyone who was anyone. Despite being such an influential family for Gotham and the world at large, very little was known about them in private. For a busybody journalist like Jack Ryder the opportunity to be nosey on the Wayne estate was a chance that he simply could not pass up.

It didn’t take him long to slip out from the socialites and small talk of the party and out into the corridor to do some investigative journalism. That was snooping through their stuff while he pretended to have gotten lost trying to find the bathrooms. 

Which by the actual size of the manor was not a hard feat to accomplish. The place was huge.

He wandered around for a while poking his head into rooms and rooting through drawers. Though nothing of interest could be garnered. 

The more private rooms such as the study and bedrooms were all locked. Jack might consider himself a bit of a creeper. Part of the job description really. He did have boundaries he respected. Even if he could pick a lock.

Besides if the Wayne family had anything incriminating to hide. Logic told him they would likely not hide it in their bedrooms. That's where everyone would look first. 

Jack passed by several guests as he wandered around the first floor. 

He even spotted two of the Waynes –Miss Cassandra Cain and the young Daimien Wayne– they were having some sort of argument and he watched as the youngest Wayne pulled an angry looking cat out from beneath a piece of furniture.  

He heard the child mutter something about not knowing how Alfred –the cat apparently– had gotten out of his room. 

He passed them by and mounted the stairs to the second story. 

Not precisely off limits to the guests. Yet there were fewer people up here. Mostly people who had stolen a way to get a moment of private conversation. He spotted Stephanie Brown, one of the Wayne pack, walk by in an elegant purple dress. She said hello as she hurried passed. 

The mischievous grin on the young woman's face told Ryder that the Lambda was up to no good. 

Though he doubted that it would involve him. After all the Wayne pack was well known for menacing high society and none more so than eighteen-year-old Miss  Brown. 

After poking his head into a variety of the rooms on the second floor. Actually succeeding in finding the bathroom, he found himself in a central den room. It appeared to be a relatively well used space. Well dusted beyond what was needed for the gala and the books with bookmarks sticking out of them told him at least one member of the family had been here recently.

An excellent place to poke around in. 

He rooted through some drawers, but eventually his attention was drawn towards the large bookcase at the end of one wall.

Taking a closer look at the shelves he noticed where the floor appeared especially scuffed. Sure someone had tried to hide it under a long throw rug, but moving the rug the scuff marks became remarkably clear.

“Now, now what could you be hiding Wayne?” 

he mused to himself and began looking for triggering mechanisms of the hidden door or compartment. 

He found something in one of the back panels. Sliding it to reveal a keyhole. 

Quickly slipping his lock picking set out of his lapels.

There was a click as he finished messing with the mechanisms, a sweet smell wafted from one of the previously inconspicuous bookshelves. 

He knew that rich paranoid people always had secret passages and rooms. How could they not have. With a place as old and as wealthy as the Wayne estate there were no doubt multiple secrets hidden within the walls.

He smiled as the doorway swung open. 

What strange and illicit secrets would he find on the Wayne family today. He prepared himself for anything. A room full of precious documents and valuables perhaps. Perhaps a second library, or just an old bolt hole left over from a bygone era. Maybe the family was into some rather illicit dealings or maybe kink. Not too unusual for the Gotham elite. He was prepared for the mundane and he was prepared for the illegal. He had not prepared for what laid before him. 

The room was dark as he entered but found a round knob that was the light switch after tracing his fingers across the wall.  Twisting it his eyes adjusted to take in the sight before him. 

It was a Nest. 

A giant Omegan Nest. The largest he had ever laid eyes on. Pillows and blankets, sweatshirts and stuffies. 

He blinked a bit trying to process what he was seeing, but his nose was quicker on the pick-up. Even as a dominant type of beta he could pick up on the nuances of the scents wafting through the room. This nest didn’t belong to a signal omega… no it belonged to multiple. 

It belonged to an Entire Harem . Unease coiled in his gut, ready to spring into action, a growl from his hind brain that he was in danger. Even though his higher brain still lagged to catch up with all the input of his senses. 

There was no way the Waynes could be hiding an entire harem. That would be noticeable and there were no people in here, meaning that they were out and about somewhere else. So, perhaps this wasn’t a harem thing. 

Unconsciously Jack took a few more steps into the secret room. 

Even his dull Lambda nose could pick up that the sents were stagnant but not old. Meaning that whoever. Or whatever omegas had been using this room had been here recently. 

Perhaps he was mistaken, and the smells came from artificial scenters, like incense. But that wouldn’t explain the very clear nest.

Perhaps it was only one omega and some submissive type betas who had taken scent enhancers.

Or this was an old house. So it might be an old relic from the past. That didn't explain the modern clothes or fresh scent.

What if whoever this nest belonged to was in danger?

Something was going on and Ryder would find out what it was. He took a step forward.

Pain bloomed at the back of his head and before he knew what hit him, the world faded to black, and he was out like a light. 

Jack Ryder awoke to pain and arguing voices. He held still and listened as he tried figuring out where he was and what had happened. 

“Well, what are we going to do with him?” there was a pause in the voice before it spoke up again. “And no we aren’t going to kill him, we talked about this.” 

A scoff of disapproval from a young voice. Jack recognized that he was hanging upside down. Not great, as all the blood had already rushed to his head, and he was halfway certain he might have a concussion.

“And why not,” the young voice spoke up. “With all he knows he is a threat to father’s reputation, not to mention your continued freedom.” 

“I know, I know, but we have morals.”

“Tth” the young voice scoffed.

“Alright, any other suggestions?” The voice spoke up again.

An indistinguishable number of murmurs, muffled by their unknown surroundings.

Jack started paying attention to the scents that wafted through the air. They were varying degrees of sweet, but from them he could pick out about six scents.

He was in a room with about six omegas. Oh god he was going to be torn to shreds . 

He could pick out a soft lavender smell as being nearest to him, it had undertones of violets and something more savory- like waffles. 

“We could always hope the knock to his head gave him amnesia.”

 A deep gruff tone said. If he had to guess the scent belonging to the voice was the slightly wet and oily one. Crispy apple slices, cinnamon mingled with scents that reminded him of musky old books, a library on a rainy day. It was a scent he could almost ascribe to some other second sex, but there was an undeniable tang to it that made it distinctly an Omegan scent.  

“We can’t rely on luck Jay... though that’s the best-case scenario. How hard did you hit him?”

“Eh, hard enough to give him a concussion at least… though I doubt I gave him amnesia.” The violet scent next to him spoke up. He could practically hear the shrug in her voice. 

“Alright so amnesia is likely off the table…and no killing, it’s like B’s one rule.”

At least two voices scoffed in protest to the main voice… their leader?

“We could always drug him.” a voice mumbled.

Jack could make out two prominent scents coming from there. One smelled of coffee and creams, while the other smelled of soft silks, roses and shadows… how someone could smell of shadows he had no idea. He had no idea who the voice belonged to of the two scents coming from over there. Though he could faintly distinguish them. Enough to know none of the Omegas were blood relatives. 

Not being an alpha, he couldn’t really pick up on the nuances of emotions that came from the scents. Just the general pervading scent of Worry, Concern, Hesitation.

“I don’t know why you are all being so hesitant about this. We eliminate this threat before it can endanger any of you.”

“Dami, your concern is sweet and all, but we can’t “

The leader's voice paced around the room trailing behind it a smell of dust, chalk and a hint of popcorn. All washed over with a pink smell of cotton candy. 

“I hope you chuckleheads have noticed that our hostage has woken up.” He felt a pat on his arms.

“Stop pretendin’ to be out and open your eyes.”

He did as he was told and was faced with Stephane Brown sitting next to him. He was still in the nest room. 24-year-old Dick Grayson was pacing the room, the cotton candy smell rolled off him in waves. Jack noticed he must have been out for a while as the different Wayne children had all changed out of their clothes from the gala. How long had he been upside down… could not be that long. Long enough for the blood to rush to his head to realize that all of the Wayne children were here.

 None of the Wayne children were wearing sent patches, something that in and of itself Jack thought was noteworthy. They always wore them out in public.

The smell of oranges, sunscreen and warmth came from Duke Thomas. 

The two scents whose owners he could not tell apart Tim Drake and Cassandra Cain. 

On the opposite side of the room loomed Jason Todd reading a book. A distinctly non-alpha smell of cinnamon apples surrounded him.

all of them except Damien Wayne smelled like omegas. 

Jack swore as clarity came to him.

A hissing den of vipers. That’s what he had landed himself in. 

“What’s going on in here?” He recognized the voice.

Bruce Wayne. The man of the house. Was he saved or had he gone from the frying pan into the fire?

“He knows.” The youngest child stated. 

“Does he now?”

The youngest Wayne rolled his eyes and huffed as if he were stating the obvious.

“We are trying to figure out what to do with him. My vote is still blackmail.” Tim informed Bruce from where he was seated with Cassandra. 

The young woman nodded.

“Blackmail. Affective.”

Wayne sighed and loosened his tie.

“While I'm not beyond blackmail. I do think we should hear his case. I could not call myself good at my work if I didn't.” 

Sharp, blue and dangerous eyes leveled at Jack who swallowed harshly.

“Now Jack Ryder. What are you doing here?”

Stephanie answered before Jack could even gather his thoughts in a coherent string of words.

“I saw him milling about earlier when you were flirting with Kent. I then found him having opened the door to the nest. I of course knocked him out, tied him up and told Dick. he said we should deal with it after the party.”

“And you didn't tell me?”

“I told Alfred as well. He also said we should deal with it after the party.”

“Hmm”

“I think we should cut him down, he's looking kind of red to the face.” 

Duke kneeled in front of him, studying his expression. Soon enough Tim had flitted over from the other side of the room to do just that. 

He landed with a slight thud. But the material of the nestroom was soft so he likely wouldn't have more than a crick in his neck. 

Now down on the ground and with the pack alpha in the room Jack felt his muscles relaxes ever so slightly. 

He had no idea how Wayne had managed it. He somehow had gotten six omegas to cohabitate and share a single pack alpha. 

Not even the foster care system could do something like that, often having to house non sibling omegas in separate facilities. Yet here was the Wayne pack defying what seemed to be a very law of nature.

Whatever his secret method for keeping them together alone could make him a rich man. Unless this was some sort of conspiracy that the rich and powerful were already well informed of. That would be a newsworthy story. 

Of course as long as Alpha Wayne didn't decide to compel his omegas to rip him to shreds. He prayed that he had overheard them correctly when they had said that B…Bruce no doubt… didn’t kill.

The glare he was receiving from the youngest child told him that the little Wayne heir had no such Qualms. When the Alpha-pup one day inherited his father’s pack Jack quivered for the consequences to the world. 

Ryder hadn't been paying too much attention to the squabbles that had broken out among the packs. Too caught up in his own head and the death glare from Damien. A yelp broke him out of his thoughts and he noticed that Jason and Tim had gotten into a squabble. 

He tensed for a second. Waiting to see how Bruce would handle this, instead the two unsheathed claws and hissed, but bruce didn't react beyond sighing and huffing at them to quit it. no command, no oppression of alpha pheromones to get them to back away. Instead there seemed to be a silent battle... omegas could hear things betas could not, all he heard from the two of them if he strained his ears was a light purr like a motor. they backed off Jason seemingly having won the standoff. 

Teen and young adult huffed and made their way back over to where he was. They passed by Ricgared as they did so.

Tim and Jason gave a slight bow towards Dick. Under normal circumstances it could have been waved off as a nod but Jack pinned it as a pack bow. 

Oh, oh this was worse. 

He had assumed that somehow Wayne had managed the near impossible and created a harem of omegas. The iffy morality of it consisting of his wards aside, and part of Jack was slightly relieved that horrid hunch had been wrong.

That bow unfortunately meant that he wasn’t dealing with a harem, or even a pack with multiple Omegas who were family members, that slight bow meant he was dealing with a Pride . 

Old campfire stories drifted into his mind for a second. Stories of omega temptresses and of prides ripping apart entire cities with their bare hands. 

Oh God, the Wayne children all probably had claws, itching to dig into his flesh.

He squirmed as Jason and Tim sat down next to Stephanie. Who still casually perched atop a mound of pillows. Duke and Daimen were on his other side. 

One looked at him with pity and the other with derision.

Cassandra and Dick were conversing with Bruce.

He now knew that it was Cassandra who somehow smelled of shadows.

If he somehow made It out of this situation alive, he had to tell someone. Anyone .

Wayne had a Pride hiding in his house. Biggest scandal of the century. The news would likely destroy them… one of the richest men in the world, there would be a huge fall out in the trust the world had with the family…a family that was a known sponsor of the Justice League.

He realized two things at the same time. If he told anyone the world would be shaken, people would be clamoring to lay their hands on the pride, and telling the world would likely break the family apart. 

He watched them argue with each other, and though Tim and Jason had nearly clawed eachother it was still clear they were close. They were a family. 

He was a self-admitted dirt bag… but he wasn’t that much of a dirtbag. 

There was also a chance that if he told everyone no one would believe that any of the Wayne children were omegas. Because come on, they didn’t fit the image of a skittish, homebody who would rather hide away in the face of confrontation or the ideal of a submissive people pleaser who uplifted the people around them. 

The Wayne children were all known to be their own unique brands of public menices. 

The arguing was growing more and more heated between the eldest Wayne wards and their father.

“I’m not going to tell anyone.” Jack sighed. He was going to have to let this story go.

The arguing Waynes hadn't heard him so he spoke up louder. Still nothing. 

Jason was the one who turned around and gave a sharp whistle to get the arguing trios attention.

Three sets of eyes blinked at him. As he once more confirmed he wasn't going to tell anyone.

“Let me sign an NDA and leave. Even if I did tell anyone I doubt anyone would believe me.”

Bruce looked him over. Yet he felt Cassandra's eyes practically tear him apart until his fractured soul was on display.

She gave a curt nod and the room sighed with relief. 

“Alright.”

The bonds keeping him were cut. Daimen paused just as he was about to release the last bond to whisper in his ear. 

“Keep your promise Ryder or I will come for you in the night.”

The pup then released the last bond letting Jack sit up.

He took in the weary and tired faces around him. With one last reassurance he left the nest. 

A month later rumors started circulating about a new vigilante stalking the Gotham roofs. A menace in yellow and red.

Laughing maniacally like the crown prince of crime himself. The insane heroics of the man was nothing new to the ancient city. Soon enough the underground whispered:

Beware the Creeper.  

~~End.